News Broadcasting
Samarth Conclave drives India’s accessible future
DELHI: India is shifting gears on inclusion, and this time it is making sure no one is left waiting at the kerb. At the Samarth India Conclave and Expo 2025 in Delhi, Hyundai Motor India Limited and Times Network steered a lively national conversation on accessibility, technology and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities.
Held under the ‘Samarth by Hyundai’ initiative, the conclave brought together ministers, policymakers, technologists and advocates to explore how inclusive design and assistive innovation can unlock the full potential of millions. The highlight was the launch of the Samarth Accessibility Metric, created by Times Network and Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility, which provides India’s first structured rating system for accessible public and private mobility spaces.
The Expo added a hands-on dimension, with startups and innovators displaying adaptive mobility devices, AI-led navigation aids and accessible digital tools. Organisations including NCPEDP, ALIMCO, the National Association for the Blind and XL Cinemas presented solutions tailored to diverse disability needs.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju underscored the government’s commitment to dignity and equal access, noting the shift in social attitudes since the adoption of the term Divyang. He highlighted parity in support for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and called assistive technology essential to a disability-neutral India.
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasised that accessibility must define India’s rise. He said inclusive tourism is a national priority, citing AI-enabled travel guidance, screen-reader-friendly platforms, sign-language tours and sensory-inclusive events as examples of progress. He added that India is no longer following global standards but setting them across airports, museums, smart cities and heritage projects.
Hyundai Motor India’s managing director Unsoo Kim said the company sees mobility as momentum for change, noting that Samarth by Hyundai represents its commitment to human-centred mobility. COO Tarun Garg added that accessibility is a fundamental right, and the conclave aims to accelerate transformative solutions that deliver measurable impact for people with disabilities.
Times Network stated that the initiative aligns with the Group’s decades-long role in shaping national conversations, and that amplifying Hyundai’s accessibility mission reflects its own ethos.
Now in its second year, Samarth by Hyundai continues to champion empowerment through action. With support for para-athletes, inclusive sporting events, accessible infrastructure, student outreach and the pledge for inclusivity movement, the initiative reinforces a simple truth, when capability is enabled, ambition becomes unstoppable.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
